How to bet on AFLX

Designed to showcase the most exciting elements of Australian rules football, AFLX features a number of significant deviations from the game we all grew up with. Get to know the rules, see where, when and who your team is playing next, and find out which bookies offer the best odds on this bold new footy format.

Best bookmakers for AFLX odds

What is AFLX?

AFLX is the Australian Football League’s attempt to replicate the enormous success of Twenty20 cricket. The idea is to cram all the best bits of Aussie rules footy – along with elements of basketball, soccer and other popular sports – into a snapshot that will attract new fans from all over the country and beyond. Matches, grounds and team lists are all much smaller than standard, while a number of key rule changes encourage a style of play that is even faster and more aggressive than usual.

AFLX rules and scoring changes

At a glance, AFLX bears only a passing resemblance to traditional Aussie rules football. Click on the tabs below to find out why.

• Grounds
  Instead of a modified cricket oval, AFLX is played on a rectangular pitch like those used in soccer and rugby. The 50-metre arcs are also gone, replaced with 40-metre lines.
  
• Match time
  This is another massive change from standard Aussie rules. Matches are shortened from a running time of over two hours to a mere 20 minutes, consisting of two 10-minute halves with no added time on.
  
• Teams
  Smaller field dimensions mean there is no room for 18 players per side. Each AFLX team consists of only 10 players – seven on the field, three on the bench. Interchange rotations are unlimited.
  
• Positions
  The seven on-field players are divided into three areas of the pitch. Three line up in midfield, while two each are positioned in defence and attack.
  
• Scoring
  Goals kicked from outside 40 metres are worth 10 points, while rushed behinds result in a free kick from the 40 arc. Instead of a centre bounce, the ball is kicked in from full-back after all scoring shots.
  
• Out of bounds
  There are no boundary throw-ins in AFLX. Instead, a free kick is awarded against the last team to touch the ball before it crosses the boundary line.
  
• Marking
  In order to limit time-wasting and speed up rebound play, no mark is awarded for kicks that travel backwards. This rule does not apply to passes inside the attacking 40.

2019 AFLX teams and fixtures

As if AFLX wasn’t different enough already, league organisers have introduced some big changes for the 2019 tournament. Only four teams will take part, each captained by a star of Aussie footy:

The Bolts – Patrick Dangerfield

The Deadlys – Eddie Betts

The Flyers – Nathan Fyfe

The Rampage – Jack Riewoldt

The four skippers will pick their teams in a live draft featuring more than 100 players. Each squad will have 14 players in total, with no more than four players from a single AFL club allowed on the same side. The Deadlys will consist entirely of indigenous footballers.

Betting on AFLX games

AFLX is a whole new kettle fish. Until we get a taste of it and begin to see how the game works, don’t expect to find many betting options at online bookmakers. This is the inauguration of a brand new sport, after all, which makes it almost impossible for bookies to frame accurate markets and game lines. That will change if the format gains a following over the coming years, but it is a case of watching and waiting for the time being.

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